Kids Elf Costumes: Pick by Age and Look, Plus Matching Family Elves

The best kids elf costume comes down to two things: your child's age and the look they want. For the classic red-and-green elf, our Kids Christmas Elf Costume packs a red top, a jagged green-and-red skirt, and a bobble hat, sized 4 to 12 years. For a green velour dress with striped tights, the Girls Christmas Elf Costume runs from 3-4 years to 12-14 years.

Among elf-costume Google searches that showed our U.S. site between April 22 and October 24, 2026, those naming "girls" outnumbered those naming "boys" about 9 to 1. Every pick here sits in our kids Christmas costumes range, and the wider season is in our Christmas costumes guide.

Which elf costume suits your child?

Red and green with a pointed hat is the storybook elf. Green velour with striped tights is the dress elf. A child who would rather wear pants takes the Boys Elf, with a top and pants. All four kids elf costumes below are 100% polyester and sized by age.

Mid-November: when should you order a kids elf costume?

Order in mid-November, so there is time for delivery, a try-on, and any exchange before December's school events. Do the try-on over the clothes your child will wear underneath; it shows whether the hat stays on and the hem sits right over the layers. If it is snug, go up one; the Girls Christmas Elf Costume has five sizes, 3-4 through 12-14 years.

What comes in each kids elf costume pack?

Every kids elf pack has a hat. After that they differ: the Girls Christmas Elf adds striped tights and a belt, the Girls Mistletoe Elf adds red boot covers as well, and no pack includes shoes.

The classic red-and-green elf

The Kids Christmas Elf Costume is three pieces: a red long-sleeve top with a printed belt, a green-and-red skirt with a jagged elf hem, and a pointed bobble hat with a pom pom. It fastens with hook-and-loop, so there are no buttons to fight backstage, and it comes in 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 years. The photo's striped tights and curled shoes are styling only; the pack does not include them. For the parent walking them in, add a Christmas Holly Headband; it fits most teens and adults.

The green velour elf dress, toddler to tween

The Girls Christmas Elf Costume is a green velour dress with a satin collar, white squiggle trim, and candy buttons, plus a pom pom hat, red-and-white striped tights, and a black belt with a buckle. Five sizes run from Toddler (3-4 years) to XL (12-14 years), so a big sister and a little one can wear the same dress. A teen sibling who wants in without a full costume can take a Giant Red Bow Christmas Headband.

Which elf costume size fits your child, by age and height?

Start with age, then check height against the size guide. On the CDC growth charts, the median 4-year-old stands about 40 inches tall and the median 12-year-old about 59 inches, and at age 9 boys at the 10th and 90th percentiles are about 6 inches apart.

• Kids Christmas Elf Costume: three sizes, Small for ages 4-6, Medium for 7-9, and Large for 10-12.
• Girls Christmas Elf Costume: Toddler (3-4), then 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and XL (12-14) years.
• Between sizes: size up. The Girls Christmas Elf product page says so for comfort and movement, and it leaves room for a layer underneath.

Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks. On top of that, all of our kids' products are safety tested by accredited labs.

Early December: does an elf costume work for a school concert or class party?

Yes. None of our kids elf packs has a mask or a prop, so any of them suits a school holiday concert or a class party. Check three things first.

• The hat: a pointed hat can slide off when a child sings and sways. A couple of bobby pins through the brim hold it.
• The hem: look at it with shoes on during the try-on, so nothing trails on risers or stage steps.
• The restroom: the Kids Christmas Elf is a top and skirt, the Girls Christmas Elf a dress over tights; practice a restroom trip at the try-on.

For the walk to school, add leggings and a thin long-sleeved top underneath. More school-show ideas are in our kids Christmas costumes guide.

Christmas Eve: how can the whole family dress as elves?

Match the colors, not the cut. Our adult harlequin elves share the red-and-green palette of the Kids Christmas Elf, and the pink elf is there for a parent who would rather not match. According to the National Retail Federation's 2026 holiday survey, 91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate winter holidays this year, so the grown-ups are in the photo too.

The harlequin elf for dads

The Men's Christmas Harlequin Elf Costume is a harlequin top with a jagged pom pom collar, harlequin pants with contrasting green and red leg panels and an elastic waist, a belt, a hat, and boot covers, in Medium, Large, and X-Large. For jingle bells, add the Adult Christmas Elf Jester Collar; it adjusts with hook-and-loop to fit most adults.

The matching harlequin elf for moms

The Women's Harlequin Elf Christmas Costume mirrors the men's: a harlequin top with a jagged hem and pom pom collar, matching pants, a belt, a hat, and boot covers, in Medium, Large, and Extra Large. Its product page suggests a thin long-sleeved top underneath for outdoor winter events. When the tall hat is too much at the dinner table, swap in a Giant Red Bow Christmas Headband.

The pink elf for a softer look

The Women's Pink Christmas Elf Costume is a pink skater dress with faux fur trim, a belt, a hat, red tights, and boot covers, in Small to 2XL; between sizes, its product page says go up. It suits a mom who wants to stand beside her daughter's green velour dress, not copy it. Add a Christmas Holly Headband; its candy cane stripe picks up the striped belt.

Grown-ups-only party? Our adult elf costume guide has the rest of the adult range.

After Christmas: how do you wash an elf costume?

Each elf costume here takes a cold hand wash and an air dry; the five main picks are 100% polyester and hand wash only. Wash the dress, hat, and tights separately and lay everything flat to dry away from direct heat. Store the hat and boot covers flat so they keep their shape for next December.

Frequently asked questions